My Angel
by Hopeful Writer
Summary: Takeru is accused of dating Hikari. To solve his problem, Daisuke volunteers to date Hikari. But Hikari likes Takeru, Dai likes Miyako, and Takeru likes Hikari. And poor Iori is thrown in the middle. What will happen now? Takari with a hint of Daiyak


HW: LiLVarajon, Sakka, and Raissa. Spotlight's on you.

Varajon: They always write the fics.

HW: Jealous?

Varajon: No, I just want to write one.

HW: Okay, okay. Soon, Varajon, I promise.

Varajon: That's better.

HW: Raissa, disclaimer. Sakka, shout outs. LiLVarajon, summary. Varajon, introduction.

Raissa: HW doesn't own Digimon. She's a high school kid with no life that writes these for the fun of it. She also doesn't own the song The Words Get in the Way by Gloria Estefan.

Sakka: Shout outs to Dreamer4, Dark Gamer, EeyoreP, Izzychick, and Fallen angel of Hope. Special shout out to Gloria Estefan, who we're all sure isn't going to read this.

LiLVarajon: This is about Takeru winning Hikari's affections, after overcoming the obstacle of a bully through his writing. Takari, with a hint of Daiyako.

Varajon: And here's My Angel by LiLVarajon, Sakka, and Raissa.

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My Angel

By: Hopeful Writer

Dictated by: LiLVarajon, Sakka, and Raissa

With a single punch, the young blond found his face a bloodied mess as he cried out in pain. "Look, you pathetic sissy, I'm warning you. Stay away from my girl," a very muscular brunette ordered his hostage.

"As if," the boy managed to squeak before getting another punch, this time in the gut. "She's my best friend, not my girlfriend. I'm just trying to protect her from you freaks." Stupid move. He received another punch in the stomach.

"Let him go." Two brunettes sauntered up to the fight. One had a familiar battle gleam in his eyes, while the smaller was watching his captive friend worriedly.

The large boy tossed the blond to the side like he was a rag doll. He smirked, but wasn't dumb enough to mess with these boys. He leaned close enough to whisper through clenched teeth, "We'll meet again, pansy-boy." Then he disappeared, followed by his gang.

Takeru Takaishi raised his head up to look at his injured body. "Thanks, Dai, Iori." The two brunettes nodded to him.

Daisuke Motomiya helped his battle-weary friend off the ground. "How many times have we told you to go back to the basketball team?" he reminded his best friend gently.

"I don't want to play on a team where you're praised for what you do, not how you do it," Takeru answered stoutly, reciting his speech as he had many times before.

"It's no wonder you get your butt kicked," a familiar female voice teased.

Takeru smiled at his recognition of the voice. "It happens," he remarked, rather dryly, without turning around.

Hikari Yagami (A/N - is that right?) wrapped her arms around his thin shoulders. "Are they still bothering you about this?" she whispered in his ear as he tensed.

Takeru nearly laughed. Hikari knew him too well. "Yeah," he admitted quietly.

Iori shook his head slowly. "And you wonder why people think you're dating," he muttered sarcastically.

Dai's eyes glittered like they always did when he had an idea. "Well," he began slowly, "if you want people to stop thinking that you're dating, you have to go out with other people. Like Iori should go out with Hikari."

Iori stumbled when he said that. "What are you talking about? I'll get mauled for sure. I'm just a little kid. Why don't you go out with her, Dai?"

"Everyone respects you, Dai," Takeru agreed.

Hikari shrugged. "I'm game if you are."

Dai blushed. "You know where my affections are, Hika."

Hikari nodded, smiling. "It's only temporary, Dai. You'll get your chance."

"Why do all my plans backfire on me?" he moaned mockingly. He didn't really mind going out with Hikari, if it wasn't for a certain girl who had his heart without even knowing it.

Takeru grinned sheepishly. "Thanks, guys. I owe you, big time."

Hikari pecked his cheek. "You always owe me."

Dai put a stern look on his copper face. "Hey, no kissing anyone but me."

Hikari suddenly frowned sincerely. "We have to kiss, don't we?" she realized, studying Dai's paling face.

"Oh," he mumbled, feeling the blood leave his head.

Takeru smirked. "This is going to be so interesting!" he chirped, laughing.

Iori giggled. "I better get home. Coming, Takeru?"

"Let's lave these two alone," he taunted, earning a reproachful look from Dai and a smack on the shoulder from Hikari.

Iori and Takeru left the school, sticking closely together so not to be mugged by Takeru's "stalkers." Takeru sighed miserably as they left.

"What's the matter, Keru?" Iori asked, calling him by his childhood nickname, a nickname that only Hikari had ever called him.

Takeru flushed at the young boy's observation. "Oh, nothing, Iori. Don't let it concern you."

Iori sighed. "You're doing it again, you know. You're keeping things from me. What's the matter?"

"I just feel really bad about making Dai and Hika go out. They're only doing it for me."

Iori patted his friend's shoulder sympathetically. "It'll be okay, Takeru. Eventually they'll break up, quote, unquote." Suddenly realization hit the youngest boy. "Oh! You like her. You want the rumors to be true, don't you?"

"Iori, what I'm going to tell you next is completely confidential, understand?" Iori nodded minutely. "I've known Hikari Yagami for eight out of fifteen years of my life. And for seven of those years, I've loved her. Three years were spent wondering if she had found someone, then four more were spent stalking her, loving her, yet posing as her best friend. A day didn't pass that I didn't spend loving her and missing her when she wasn't there. I've held onto her through battles in the digital world, through four years of no communication, and through Dai's pesky attempts at stealing her. Now that he's finally moved on, I am NOT going to lose her to him, just when my chance is so close."

Iori was speechless at the emotional outburst from the blond. They'd always been close, practically brothers, but even Iori had never seen this side of Takeru. In fact, Iori doubted Takeru's REAL brother knew about this burning passion. Finally, the tiny brunette asked him, "What are you going to do about it?"

Takeru smiled dryly, a sarcastic smile that could be easily mistaken for a grimace. "I don't know. But can I show you something, and you promise that you'll never tell a soul?"

"Takeru, anything you show or tell me will be kept between us unless it will result in your immediate death."

"Death by madness doesn't count," the older boy joked with a half-serious tone.

"What is it?" Iori pressed.

Takeru took a notebook from his school backpack. "I carry this everywhere with me," he explained, opening to a certain page. "I can write anything in here. It's kind of a place where I can vent." He handed Iori the book.

At first, the younger boy's eyes skimmed over the page briefly, not completely understanding what he was reading. He knew Takeru liked to write; he'd even read some of his friend's stories, but never found anything worth rereading. Suddenly, though, a hidden talent emerged from the pages describing Takeru's most intimate secrets. The page Iori was reading was from three years ago, when Takeru still thought Dai and Hikari were going to be an item, when Dai's crush was present and strong.

A glimmer of light radiates off the soft brown hair of an angel. My angel. She's perfect, everything to be desired in a woman. Not just the looks, though she's beautiful, sexy, and just plain drop-dead gorgeous. But Hikari Yagami has something special inside her. Maybe it's the light inside her heart, or the love she's taken from Sora, or even her older brother's courage. Whatever the cause, she can awaken new feelings inside me like no other. When I'm feeling low, she's always there to cheer me up. But she's Daisuke's girl, no matter if she tries to deny it. I see how she tolerates his immaturity, just to later protect him in battle. I don't under what he has that I don't. Maybe it's that personality, as well as looks, that reminds everyone of Taichi, Hikari's brother and a praised leader.

Soft lips smile at me, my smile, one that can never be replaced. In a moment of weakness I blush, but I recover enough to grin back. No matter who's girl she is, she will always be Hikari, my angel.

Iori stared at Takeru with tear-filled eyes. "That's beautiful, Keru. Why didn't you ever tell her? I mean, after Dai gave up chasing her."

Takeru studied his notebook intently before formulating an answer. "I guess I've always been too scared to let her know. Believe me, Iori, there have been times when I would like nothing more than to blurt out the truth, but, as an old Gloria Estefan song goes, the words get in the way. I just can't make myself tell her. And when I come so close, only to fall, even when I can read the disappointment in her eyes, I can't pick myself up enough to let her know how I feel."

Iori opened his mouth, but was interrupted by a louder voice saying, "Just her best friend, Takaishi? Let's see the notebook."

Takeru paled, seeing his tormentor from before, Kaji Netsui and his gang. He hugged the book close to him, but Kaji was much stronger. He plucked it from the fifteen-year-old's grasp without so much as a bead of sweat. Iori, though, had had enough of the bullying. "I didn't know you were literate," he quipped dryly, glaring at Kaji with beady emerald eyes (A/N - picture the scene against Blackwargreymon). His shoulders were hunched and his jaw was set firm. His fist lay clenched at his side.

Kaji didn't look up from his reading. Instead, a mask dropped from the junior's face. For a brief moment, Takeru saw right into his thoughts. And, somewhere beyond the thoughts of beating up the younger boy, was a faint understanding.

Kaji tossed the notebook back to Takeru in a surprisingly caring manner. "Look, Takaishi, I don't like you because you like Hikari. But you like her more than I do; your writing proves that. So, and I hate to say this, but maybe you're not so bad after all. In fact, you seem all right. Now go nab Hikari before she actually starts to like Motomiya."

Takeru stared at the older boy in shock for a moment before snapping back to reality. "Right." He set off to leave, Iori tagging along like a confused puppy. "And Kaji?" he added, looking over his shoulder.

"What?"

"Thanks." Takeru ran in the direction of Hikari's house.

He approached carefully, ready to knock on the door when he heard voices talking. though he knew it was rude to eavesdrop, he stayed outside anyway. He heard Hikari say, "I don't want to do this, Dai."

"Me neither," Dai's deeper voice replied. "I know you like Takeru, and I like Miyako. This totally isn't going to work."

Takeru felt his breath catch in his throat upon hearing that. Hikari liked HIM? Iori stifled a giggle next to the blond. "Dai likes Miyako," he sang softly, almost inaudibly.

Takeru silenced him with a sharp glare, harsher than intended, but it did the job.

"I've got to go, Hikari. Don't worry; we'll figure it out," Dai promised, opening the door, just after Iori and Takeru scurried away.

Hikari nodded and closed it quietly. Takeru could hear muffled sobs from her apartment. Nodding to Iori, he watched the little boy run after Dai. "Don't be a bother," Takeru mouthed as he turned back to flash the older boy a thumbs-up. Iori only grinned deviously.

Takeru turned back to the Yagami's apartment door. He knocked quietly, trying to muster his courage for the task that lay ahead.

Hikari answered, her eyes red from crying. Takeru took a deep breath, ready to confess, then felt his bravery leave him. Sighing out the air, he asked, "Can I come in? We need to talk."

"Sure." Hikari led Takeru to the couch, a ragged, old thing that had suffered the fate of two 11-year-old children doing everything on it, from wrestling to sleeping to simply lying back and watching a movie. Takeru thought about the memories, about Hikari, and about the future. 'I can do this,' he chanted silently, finally ready.

"Hikari," he began, choosing his words carefully, "for four years we've been best friends. To be completely true, though, I've always felt like more." 'This is it, Takeru,' he coached. "Frankly, Hikari Yagami, I've always been in... in love with you." There. He'd said it. Now he just had to wait for an answer.

No verbal answer came. But whoever said actions speak louder than words was obviously in love and speaking the truth. Hikari, speechless, did the only thing she found suitable for a time like this. She kissed him. And Takeru spent less than a minute in heaven, kissing an angel, his angel.

When they broke apart, Hikari said the four words Takeru would have sold his soul to hear. "I love you, too."

THE END

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HW: Very, very nice, guys. I'm very proud of you.

LiLVarajon: Thanks, HW. You're in a very good mood.

HW: Ho, ho, ho. Hey, Koori, dear? Mind closing it off?

Koori: What the hey? Sure. Please review this. Flames accepted, criticism appreciated, and compliments worshipped. Go ahead, flame away. But I'm warning you. Your flame will only be used to make s'mores.

HW: That's a rap! Cut! Print! We're going to bed. Bye!!!

Quote: Actions speak louder than words. So go ahead; change somebody's life through YOUR actions.


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